The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has explained that the removal of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) requirements for candidates seeking admission into Colleges of Education and non-technology agriculture and agriculture-related courses in polytechnics is aimed at increasing access and participation in tertiary education.

Alausa clarified the Federal Government’s position during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, saying the move forms part of policies adopted to reduce the number of out-of-school children.
He stated that the move, backed by President Bola Tinubu’s policy, is aimed at encouraging greater participation in the admission process and improving financial access for students through the student loan scheme.

Alausa said, “They want to go to school. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has created significant, unfettered financial access to them by creating the National Education Loan Fund. So, any kid who wants to go to any tertiary institution today can go, not because you are indigent or because you have poor parents; that’s been settled.

“We have a president who has broken that shackle for the first time in the history of our country. But now, let’s give these kids an opportunity; remove the restriction. Because let me tell you what happened just last year. We had requirements to go to university, colleges of education, and polytechnics that you must have five credits that must include English and Mathematics.”

The Minister also addressed UTME subject requirements for admission into Social Sciences, Sciences, Law, and Arts, saying, “And we said, if you’re going to study Law, why do you need a credit in Mathematics? If you’re going to study Science, why do you need a credit in English?

“We abolished that. We said, you have to have credit if you want to do Social Sciences, Law, and Arts in English, but you don’t need a credit in Mathematics. If you’re going to do Sciences or Engineering, you must have a credit in Mathematics, but you don’t need a credit in English.”

Read Also

ADVERTISEMENT

 

He noted that the changes in UTME subject requirements and the admission process are projected to increase the target of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to about 2.2 million candidates in the next admission cycle.

Alausa said, “Guess what happened to the number of students? For the first time in the history of our country, JAMB will do—there will be about 2.2 million, between 2.1 and 2.2 million people doing UTME year over year. And about 770,000 people will be admitted, leaving a gap. So what happened to 1.3 million people? That gets carried over to the following year.

“But for the first time in the history of our country, last year, with the changes we made to the previously restrictive Ordinary Level requirement, we increased the number of people from 770,000 to 1.1 million students. We added almost 400,000 more students.”

“Guess what this year alone, with the changes we’re making to eliminate the UTME requirement for Colleges of Education and the UTME requirement for non-technology agriculture and agriculture-related courses in our polytechnics and monotechnics, we will increase the number of people being admitted to our tertiary institutions by almost, to about 1.5 million,” he concluded.